The present invention relates to an electric motor cycle capable of changing batteries with ease.
It is well known that the motor of the electric motor cycle is driven by an on-board battery. It is necessary to recharge the battery because its capacity decreases in proportion to running of the electric motor cycle. The battery mounted on the electric motor cycle can be sometimes recharged as it is on the vehicle, but it is often required to remove the battery from the electric motor cycle to recharge it.
Conventionally, a plurality of batteries are mounted as a unit on the electric motor cycle, and the battery power unit is removed from the vehicle and conveyed to a location where a power supply is available to recharge it.
A charger is generally provided together with the power supply independent of the battery power unit. And, there is not any problem when the battery power unit is always recharged at the same place, but if it is recharged at different places, it is necessary to provide the charger as required.
Particularly, when a resident of a high-rise apartment building or anyone having a parking lot away from a recharging station carries the battery power unit to recharge it, it is desired that recharging can be made easily.
Accordingly, the present invention is to provide an electric motor cycle which allows its batteries to be, recharged readily while the batteries are in a state of mounted on the vehicle and also recharged after removing them from the vehicle.
The invention also proposes several embodiments convenient for recharging the batteries removed from the vehicle.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a battery-mounted electric motor cycle, wherein batteries and a charger are integrated into one body, and the integrated body of batteries and charger is removably mounted on the vehicle body.
It is convenient that the batteries are recharged without having a separate charger because the batteries are integral with the charger. Whether the batteries are mounted on the vehicle body or removed from the vehicle body, recharging is made easily because the batteries are provided with the charger.
According to another aspect of the invention, the batteries and the charger are further integrated with a remaining capacity meter into one body, and the integrated body of batteries, charger and remaining capacity meter is removably mounted on the vehicle body.
The remaining capacity meter measures the remained electric capacity of the batteries and since it is integrated with the batteries, electric wiring is shortened to save a space for the devices. And, the same effect as described above is provided because the charger is also integrated.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a CPU for monitoring the batteries to protect them also serves as a CPU for controlling the charger.
By configuring as described above, only one CPU, instead of two, is used for space saving and cost reduction.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a signal line from the remaining capacity meter and a signal line arranged on the vehicle body are connected via a connector, and a display of the remaining capacity meter is provided near a speed meter display.
By configuring as described above, the remaining capacity of the batteries can be checked while the vehicle is running, so that it is possible to deal with before the batteries are dead. Accordingly, a dangerous situation that the batteries are dead while the vehicle is running can be prevented as much as possible.
According to one aspect of the invention, the signal line connector and an electric power connector are integrated so to enable to connect the signal line connector by connecting the electric power connector.
By configuring as described above, both the connectors can be connected simultaneously without connecting independently. Thus, it is convenient to reduce time and effort required for the connection.
According to another aspect of the invention, the batteries are arranged on both sides of the charger.
Thus, the charger can recharge its neighboring batteries. It is also desirable in view of the weight balance because the relatively heavy batteries are disposed on both sides of the charger.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the battery power unit is rotatably mounded on a structure material of the vehicle body.
Since the battery power unit is installed rotatably on the structure material, it can be removed or mounted readily because its posture can be changed to have an appropriate rotation angle for removal or mounting.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a cover is arranged on the top of the battery power unit and forms the step of a scooter.
Thus, the top cover of the battery power unit forms the step of the scooter so to serve as the cover and the step, thereby enabling to save the number of members. And, the vehicle can be light-weighted because the number of members can be decreased.
According to one aspect of the invention, a battery fixing member is rotatably mounted on the structure material, and the battery power unit is fitted to the battery fixing member to rotatably mount the battery power unit on the structure material.
When the battery fixing member is rotatably mounted on the structure material, the battery power unit is not required to have a rotating mechanism against the structure material. Therefore, the structure of the battery power unit can be simplified, so that the battery power unit to be removed from the vehicle can be light-weighted, and its transportation and handling can be facilitated. Since the battery power unit is rotatable when it is mounted on the battery fixing member, the posture of the battery power unit can be made to have an appropriate rotating angle when it is mounted or removed as described above. Thus, the battery power unit can be removed or mounted with ease.
According to one aspect of the invention, the battery fixing member forms a bottom cover of the battery power unit.
Since the battery fixing member forms the bottom cover of the battery power unit, the battery power unit is protected from mud, water, etc. which are splashed by, for example, a tire, thereby avoiding the batteries from being damaged by an external factor so to prevent the batteries from being degraded or lowered in their service lives.
According to another aspect of the invention, the structure material is disposed near the center line of the vehicle body, the battery power unit rotatably mounted on the structure material is removable from either side of the vehicle body, and a distance between a rotation center of the battery power unit and its side is larger than a distance from the rotation center of the battery power unit to the ground.
It is convenient that the battery power unit can be mounted or removed in a narrow place because the battery power unit is mounted or removable from either side of the vehicle. And, the distance from the rotation center to the side of the battery power unit is made larger than the distance from the rotation center of the battery power unit to the ground, so that the mounting and removal of the battery power unit can be facilitated because the side of the battery power unit is brought into contact with the ground by rotating the battery power unit in either of right and left directions.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the battery power unit is provided with a wheel at its either end.
Since the wheel is provided at the end of the battery power unit, it is convenient to carry the battery power unit. Particularly, when the battery power unit is rotated to have its end brought into contact with the ground as described above, the wheel at the end of the unit is smoothly brought into contact with the ground, so that the battery power unit can be carried easier.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the wheel is mounted retractably.
Since the wheel is retractably mounted, the mounting of the battery power unit on the vehicle is not hindered by the wheel because it is retracted, and when the batteries are to be recharged, the battery power unit is removed from the vehicle and the wheel is protruded, so that the battery power unit can be carried with ease as described above.
According to one aspect of the invention, the battery power unit is provided with a retractable handle.
By means of the retractable handle, the battery power unit is conveniently carried by pulling out the handle to remove the battery power unit from the vehicle, and the mounting of the battery power unit on the vehicle is not hindered by the handle because it is retracted.
According to another aspect of the invention, the handle is mounted to be pulled out from either side of the battery power unit.
The battery power unit is conveniently carried as described above by pulling out the handle from either side as required according to the side from which the battery power unit is removed.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the battery power unit is provided with a locking mechanism with respect to the vehicle body, which operates to engage or disengage when the handle is retracted or pulled out.
Since the locking mechanism to the vehicle body is provided on the battery power unit, the battery power unit can be firmly fixed to the vehicle body while the vehicle is running to prevent the removable battery power unit from accidentally being removed from the vehicle body. And, the locking mechanism operates to lock or release when the handle is retracted or pulled out, so that it is convenient that the operation of the locking mechanism is simplified.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, electric power and signal lines are connected with or disconnected from the battery power unit when the top cover is closed or opened.
By configuring as described above, it is convenient for reducing time and effort involved in connecting because the connection or disconnection can be effected by closing or opening the top cover without separately connecting or disconnecting the power and signal lines.